


A Harvest Wedding

by NeekQueen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Autumn, Farmer Keith (Voltron), Fluff, M/M, Sheithmark 2021, Wedding Planning, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29016762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeekQueen/pseuds/NeekQueen
Summary: Shiro, a wedding planner, hopes that he’ll one day get a profile piece in a popular wedding mag, and boost the level of his clientele. What happens when the brother of his newest bride is his high school boyfriend, Keith?
Relationships: Acxa/Veronica (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 77
Collections: Sheithmark 2021





	A Harvest Wedding

Everyone knew that Keith Kogane was off limits. No one dared approach and try to ask the boy on a date, or profess their love for him. It was a losing battle. And that was a result of the other 100 percent off limits person at the high school: Takashi Shirogane. 

The two of them had been inseparable ever since they had been put in the same Biology class when they were freshmen. Keith had an almost terrifying knowledge of the material covered in the class, which made him the top student for every test, quiz, and assignment. Shiro, however, wasn’t all that great at the curriculum. Their teacher had recognized it early on, and sat them together after their first test. 

And since then, they had been together. Sure, it hadn’t been a romantic relationship from the very beginning, but it sure did move in that direction. No one was surprised when Shiro asked Keith on a date. No one was surprised when that date led to the two of them being boyfriends for the rest of high school. By the time they were seniors, not only did the entire school know that they were both an item and untouchable (in a romantic sense), but so did the whole of the little town they lived in. It was just a fact of life in their hometown.

But, with the end of high school, came graduation and college. Keith and Shiro wanted to major in different things, and as such, applied and got accepted to different schools that specialized in their respective majors. Of course, they wanted to stay together, but everyone knew that long distance relationships were hard to maintain, especially with something so life-altering as college going on behind the scenes. Neither boy wanted to hold the other back, but they also didn’t want to end things once and for all over different schools. 

So, they made a decision. Come fall, when they moved away to their separate new homes, they broke up, a moment full of tears and promises that they would return to each other. That this was only temporary, so they could be and become the best possible version of themselves as individuals. They would still talk, through video calls and texts, and nothing was changing so drastically that it warranted cutting off all contact. Four years wasn’t forever. 

But that’s always how it begins. The two of them went from texting daily and calling weekly, to calling monthly and texting weekly, in the span of their first year. Summers that Keith went home, Shiro would stay on campus, and vice versa. By the time their undergrad was completed, they didn’t talk at all. Both men felt somewhat responsible and guilty at letting them drift apart. But now, after all this time spent separately, it felt like a bad idea to contact the other. How could they be sure that they weren’t ripping the other away from a relationship that they were already in? There was no guarantee that Shiro felt the same way as Keith now. Neither of them was sure that the other even remembered the promise that they had made so long ago. 

In the end, it was really no one’s fault. People just drift apart in situations like that, and the two of them knew that now. There was some regret for what could have been, but ultimately, the pair were ready to get on with their lives as individuals.

Keith had taken over his family’s farm, and in conjunction with his uncles, had created a farmers’ market that had become a sort of tourist attraction. People came from nearby cities and even states to stop by and pick up in-season fruits and vegetables, as well as the award-winning honey that Thace and Ulaz produced. He was successful, and as happy as he could be with what he had. 

Shiro was a well known wedding planner in the city a few hours away from their hometown. He hadn't done weddings for any seriously high-profile clients, but he had done enough that word-of-mouth alone was sufficient to pay his bills. He hoped that one day soon, he’d be able to plan and execute a wedding that would get him an article in  _ Premier Bridal,  _ one of the country’s top wedding magazines. A single article, highlighting how good Shiro was at his craft, would give his business the boost he desired. He also desired to patch things up with Keith, but that was an issue he delegated to put away in his mind. 

Of course, he wasn’t aware of how soon both of his wishes would be granted. 

  
  
  


“I just wanted to stop by and thank you again. Everything was absolutely beautiful.” 

“Of course, Mrs. Thomas. I’m glad I was able to make your dream wedding a reality.” Shiro was standing at the door of his office, speaking with his most recently finished client. She had arrived with a small basket of thank-you items, the most notable of which was a bottle of pricey wine. 

“Oh, I had several coworkers and family members asking me for your card. Is it alright if I take a few to pass out?”

“That would be no problem at all. Now, I hate to cut our time short, but my assistant notified me a few minutes ago that I had quite a few potential client requests waiting for me in my inbox. You know how I like to be prompt with all of my responses.” 

“Ah, yes, another reason the wedding went off without a hitch. Well, once again, thank you so much for all you did. I’ll leave you to your work.” 

“Have a wonderful day, ma’am.” Shiro gave the woman a final smile and wave before heading back into his office and sitting at his desk. His laptop was already open and displaying his email inbox, as well as a chat message from his assistant, Katie. 

  
  


**Pidge:** So now that you’re done with that wedding, are you finally going to take a vacation? (Read 9:13am)

**Shiro:** Are you kidding? We’re in fall now. This is the final peak of wedding season until spring starts. I’ll take on at least one more. Gotta at least try to give myself one more chance to get that article. (Read 9:14 am)

**Pidge: -__-** Really? Can’t you take a break and idk find a boyfriend? All you ever do is work. You don’t even have a pet at home for stars’ sake. (Read 9:14 am)

**Shiro:** You know that some of these brides demand so much of my time that I don’t have any for a pet. I’m not going to put another living being, that has no choice in the matter, through this. And besides, I’ll have a good chunk of time to myself during the winter. I can take a break then. (Read 9:15 am)

**Pidge:** An actual break? Or are you going to obsess over wedding mags and look at other people getting the interview you want again? (Read 9:15 am)

  
  


**Shiro:** Isn’t my assistant supposed to be on my side? (Read 9:16 am)

  
  


**Pidge:** Isn’t my boss supposed to be responding to his emails? (Read 9:16 am)

  
  


Shiro would have replied to her if she hadn’t been right. He closed out the chat window and looked at the subject lines of all of his unread wedding requests. Most of them were the usual type of requests that he received. Weddings that were on the smaller side, more intimate, and a guest list that involved almost exclusively family. 

However, one request was almost the opposite. It was the most recent one in his inbox, and the subject line simply read  Can you do a time-sensitive wedding?  He clicked on it to open and began to read. 

Dear Mr. Shirogane, 

My name is Veronica McClain. I learned about your services through an old coworker of mine whose wedding you had planned. After hearing her gush about your work, as well as seeing the multitude of pictures she had, my fiance and I decided that we would love to have you plan ours as well. You have a style that we both agree with, and it is clear to us that you have a natural talent for your line of work. 

I met my fiance after high school, while we both were exploring the world. She is my everything, and I know that she is the one that I am meant to spend the rest of my life with. The only issue is that she enlisted in the military after high school, which is why I met her overseas. She has a deployment coming up, and we recently got the news that she is to leave in three weeks. We wanted to be married before she went out on her next deployment, and she would like to have a week of married life before she leaves. We would be eternally grateful if you would agree to helping us pull this off in two weeks. 

Please know that money is no object, and that we do not have extremely specific, or hard-to-find wants. If you would like to reach out to us about the request, do not hesitate to call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx. 

Thank you so much, 

Veronica McClain

Shiro took no less than 15 seconds to decide that he wanted this to be his last wedding of the season. A wedding done in less than 3 weeks for a member of the military? It just screamed that it was interview worthy. He quickly dialed the number that Veronica had left and pressed the phone to his ear. After 3 rings, a woman picked up.

“Hello?” 

“Hi. Is this a Ms. Veronica McClain?” Shiro turned his chair towards the window and leaned back slightly. The best way to not sound too excited at this wedding’s prospects was to relax his body and look peacefully at the sky. It would help slow down his thoughts. 

“This is she. May I ask who’s calling?”

“This is Takashi Shirogane. You sent me an email this morning asking if I could plan your wedding?” 

“Oh! Yes, yes. I almost forgot. We weren’t expecting a call so soon. We were sure you wouldn’t receive or even open the email until this afternoon at the earliest.”

“That’s alright. Typically I like to start my day with checking my inbox. It helps me orient myself. But enough about me. I was calling to let you know that I would love to help you plan your wedding. If you are willing, I am ready to meet with the both of you at a place of your choosing so we can hash out the bigger details like location and things.”

“Oh! Thank you so much!” Veronica’s voice grew slightly distant. “Honey, he says that he’ll do the wedding, and he wants to meet- Sorry, when is your earliest available time?” 

“ Today, if possible. We can meet over lunch? Or if you’d like a little later in the afternoon, that’s fine as well. It’s really up to what works for you.” 

Veronica’s voice grew distant again. “Is that okay? Can we meet him for lunch?” There was a moment of quiet, and Shiro heard the inflection of another woman’s voice, yet no discernable words. “Lunch would be great! Did you have a place in mind?” 

“Wonderful. There is a cafe 3 buildings away from my office, that goes by the name of Arus Eatery. We can meet there at 12:30. How many people should I have the host prepare a table for, in addition to myself?” 

“There will be three of us. My brother is interested in your talents as well. Is it okay if he were to join us?” 

“That would be no problem at all, as long as you and your fiance are okay with him joining you.”

“Wonderful! Thank you. We’ll meet you at the cafe at 12:30.”   
“I look forward to it.”

After hanging up with his newest client, he felt a bit giddy. Here was a chance to get the recognition he’d always desired, handed to him on a silver platter, it seemed. He shot Katie a message, detailing both his schedule for the rest of the day, as well as the wedding he had taken on. As he waited for noon to arrive, he created a digital lookbook of possible colors and designs for decorations that matched with the autumn weather outside. This had to be absolutely perfect, and he was prepared to not rest until it was.

  
  


“So now that you’ve gotten your exact instructions for this wedding, we can tell you the location.” 

Shiro was faking the best smile he could, and feeling the beginnings of a headache pinching right above his eyes. This meeting had definitely gone in a different direction than he had thought it would. It wasn’t the brides. Stars, no; the brides were the best clients he’s ever worked with. Calm, patient, and willing to let Shiro handle every aspect of the wedding, other than getting them to the altar. 

It was Veronica’s brother,  _ Lance _ . With every new topic, he had something to say, a choice lined up, or an opinion that wasn’t asked for. He had interjected at every point of discussion that there was, and Shiro was very tired of listening to the man talk. Nonetheless, he wrote down all of things that Lance said, under the guise that he was going to follow what was on his notepad. He knew that the best way to get through this would be to appease him now, and then start working on what the brides truly wanted later. 

“Ah, yes. Acxa, you mentioned that you already had a place in mind?” He turned away from Lance to focus on the taller of the two brides.

The other man huffed. “I tried to get them to hold the wedding someplace  _ nicer _ but they insisted on having it here. Nothing will change their minds, so don’t even bother.” 

“I wasn’t planning to, Mr. McClain. If the brides feel that this place will make their wedding special to them, then that’s all that matters. It’s  _ their  _ wedding, of course.” 

Acxa, who’d had a look of general disdain on her face every time Lance opened his mouth, brightened at Shiro’s words. A small smile settled on her face and she pulled a photo up on her phone to show him. 

“I grew up here, and now my brother is in charge of the farm and the Market that my parents used to run. There’s a large barn that he’s already agreed we can use for the reception and plenty of space for a lot of guests. Sundown here is just beautiful, and during fall, everything has a warm yellow glow to it. I couldn’t imagine having our wedding anywhere else.” 

Shiro nodded and looked at the photo she produced, then tried not to let the shock show on his face. Acxa’s family farm was none other than Marmora Farm. The exact same one that Keith had lived on with his family when they were in high school. 

“Acxa, I would be delighted to help you hold your wedding here. The farm is absolutely gorgeous, and ripe with potential. Now, this may sound like a weird question, but is your brother younger than you?” 

“Oh, yes. His name is Keith. He got done with college a few years ago, and our parents decided that since he had taken a genuine interest in the farm, it was a good idea to let him take over now that he’s older.” 

“Oh wow. This also may sound strange, but I’m pretty sure that your brother is the same Keith I knew in high school.”

Her face adopted a look of confusion for a moment, before changing to one of recognition and glee. “Oh my gosh, you’re THAT Shiro! The one Keith could never stop talking about, and was absolutely over the moon for. It’s so nice to finally meet you, and I’m sorry that the two of you fell out of touch.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, as well. Keith mentioned his sister, but I’m surprised it took me this long to see the resemblance between you two. And, I suppose the two of us can reconnect at the wedding, yes?” 

“Oh definitely. I know he’d like to see you again.”

  
  


Shiro spent the next two days calling his parents, and telling them he’d be coming home for three weeks. He also asked if Katie could stay with them, and arranged a car for the both of them to be ready when they got there. He also had to pack, but it seemed that was taking a touch longer than it should have. He had stumbled across a box in his closet that contained things he’d kept from his relationship with Keith, and now he was sitting on his bed, reminiscing. 

Would Keith even be happy to see him again? Sure, Acxa had said that he wanted to see Shiro, but maybe she was sugarcoating it. The last time they had spoken to each other was right before their senior year of college. Would they recognize each other? Would they still have anything in common? 

Shiro felt a weight in his chest at his loss of his relationship with Keith. He never expected things to turn out this way. As he stared at the contents of the box, he hoped that he would come out the other side of this wedding with at least a friend back. 

  
  
  


After they landed at the airport and grabbed their bags, Shiro led Katie to the counter handling car rentals. She kept an eye on their luggage while he finalized the paperwork. Fifteen minutes later, they had loaded the rental and were headed to his parents’ house. 

“I think I already know the answer to this question, but do I have to take my shoes off at the door when we’re at their house?” Katie was typing away at her laptop, drafting a loose outline and timetable that would help keep them on track with the planning while they were working. 

Shiro couldn't help but chuckle. “Yes, you do. My parents are only second-generation, so that trait is ingrained in both mine and their heads.” 

“Good to know. Just trying to make sure. I don’t want to make any major mistakes in front of them, and be a terrible house guest.” 

“You’ll do fine. They just might overlook some things, as it’s been awhile since I visited home. They miss me a lot and are thrilled that a wedding is bringing me here.” 

“I would think so. How long has it been since you last visited?” 

“I was here over Christmas. I had to leave earlier than expected, though. My mom kept trying to set me up with people.” 

“Glad I don’t have to deal with that.” 

“Yeah. You’re not missing much.” 

The two of them chattered fort a little while as Shiro continued to drive to his parents’ home. They arrived just in time for lunch, and Shiro’s parents were simply elated to meet them both. His mother was standing on the front stoop, waving excitedly to the both of them. She approached them as he exited the car and popped the trunk to grab their luggage.

“Takashi! Oh, my boy, I’m so happy to see you! Come in, we have lunch already prepared and the table set for you and your friend.” 

“I’m happy to see you too, Okaa-san. This is Pidge, my friend and assistant. Thank you for letting her stay here.” 

“Oh, it’s no problem. You know we have the guest room. It’s usually empty when there’s no holiday going on.” 

The two of them spent the next two hours leaving their things in their respective rooms, and sitting down with Shiro’s parents to enjoy lunch. And although it was nice to chat and catch up on things that Shiro’s parents weren’t able to talk about during their weekly phone calls, he knew that he needed to get to work as soon as possible. Acxa and Veronica had already texted and let him know that Keith would be expecting their visit that day, so the two of them loaded up with their laptops and made their way over to a place that Shiro hadn’t been in over 5 years. 

They reached the farm in less than 30 minutes; a staunch difference to how long it took Shiro to get to work in the morning. He was astonished at the size of the place, though. It had nearly tripled since he had been here last, and now included a small creek near the far side of the property. Shiro could hear Pidge rapidly typing away, no doubt already coming up with ideas for how the wedding could play out and where exactly the altar would be. 

As he parked, a man who looked to be a farmhand waved from the edge of the field closest to the house. He came up to the car while the two of them climbed out and shoved their laptops in a backpack, pulling his gloves off. 

“Hi! If you’re here for the farmer’s market, you’re a tad bit early. We wait until the harvest to hold it, which will be in about 3 weeks.” 

“Oh, no.” Shiro gave an awkward chuckle. “We’re here to see the owner of the property, Mr. Kogane? His sister is supposed to be having a wedding here in 2 weeks, and I didn’t just want to come onto the property and tromp around without letting him know that we were here.” 

“Ah. You’re that wedding planner that he told us would be visiting soon.” The man pointed towards the large house. “He’s gonna be in the house, probably in his office. It’ll be the room with the barn door on your right after you get past the entryway.” 

“Thank you for your help, Mr…”

“My name is Hunk! Keith lets me experiment with dishes using ingredients from his farm, in exchange for some help during the harvest season.” 

“That sounds like a great exchange. Thank you again.” Shiro gave Hunk a parting wave before he and Pidge turned and headed to the house. As cliche as it was, Keith lived in a 2 story farmhouse with a wraparound porch. It was painted red, with a black roof and white trim in any place you could find it. Shiro remembered that it used to be painted a lighter indigo color, with a deep purple roof. That was when they were in high school, and Keith’s parents were still in charge of everything that was going on here. It looked as if he had repaired and redone the entire house since they had given it to him. The porch, which had bent a little under Shiro’s weight when they were younger, was now sturdier and held firm. All of the shutters on the windows had been replaced, as had the windows themselves. The front door, that had once had a screen, and a wide window up top, had been replaced with a craftsman style door and frame. 

The renovations didn’t stop at the exterior of the house, either. Inside almost looked completely different to what Shiro remembered. The kitchen had been modernized, with all new appliances and a farm sink. Some of the few things about the original house that were kept was the hardwood floor, as well as the exposed beams in the living room. 

“Dude. Has this house always looked like this? It’s a planner’s dream.”

Shiro laughed and shook his head. “No, but I like both this version and the version in my memories. Now, I think we should stop gawking like tourists and actually find Keith, lest he walk in on us acting like tourists.” 

“Good plan. Hunk said the first door on the right past the entryway.” 

“Right.” 

The two of them followed the instructions they were given and were met with a closed door. They could hear someone typing on a keyboard on the other side, but nothing other than that. Seeing as how they were a bit pressed for time, overall, Shiro knocked, moving past his worries that he was distracting someone from their work. They heard what sounded like a chair being pushed back, and footsteps approached the door. And when the person on the other side slid it open, Shiro had to bite back a gasp. 

“Hey Shiro. It’s nice to see you again.”

  
  


“So after talking with my sister, and knowing your basic outline for the whole day, I think that it’s reasonable that the wedding itself take place outside, and the reception in the barn next door. It’s plenty large enough for the guest list that you were given. All those tables and a dance floor will fit, no problem. The caterer can use the kitchen here. That way they don’t have to figure out a way to make stuff where they are and transport it here or something like that. I can also make room in the fridge for the cake, or we can keep it in the ice room in the cellar.” 

“Keith, I cannot tell you how much this all helps. Thank you.” 

“It’s no problem, Shiro. But, if I could impose on you a little bit, I have a few ideas that might help, if you’re willing to listen.” 

“You wouldn’t be imposing at all. In fact, we’re imposing on you. I’d love to hear your ideas.” 

“Great.” Keith flashed a dazzling smile at him. “But it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. We have really only two weeks to finish the harvest, as we have both the wedding and then we have to prepare for the Farmers’ Market after that. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

“I could never be mad at you, and you know that. If it’s alright, Pidge and I are gonna head out. We’re gonna hash out some of the finer details about a few things, and call Acxa and Veronica. I’m sure they’d be glad to hear about the good news.” 

“Sounds good. They’ll be here in two days, right?”    
“Yep. And then they can help me with locations and layouts.”

“Well, after you figure out some things tomorrow, we can spend some time catching up?” Keith gave him a hopeful look. 

“That sounds fantastic.”

Later, when he and Pidge were in the dining room, going over their plans, she gave him a deadpan look. 

“What is it? Did I forget something?” 

“No. I’m just confused.”

“About what?”

“About why you’re doing this wedding when the brother of one of the brides AND the location have to do with your ex from high school?” 

“Well, I said I would do at least one more wedding. Why not one I have a slight personal connection to? Plus, I may be able to get that article I’ve been striving for.” 

  
  
  


The next week consisted of he and Pidge almost literally running around the farm, trying to get everything set up. Planning the reception floor plan was the easy part. Lance and the brides had already come up with a guest list. All Shiro had to do was set up enough tables for everyone to have a seat, plus a few extras in case of last minute RSVP’s. With the size of the barn, it was easy for him to have a section dedicated to all of the tables, an extra large dance floor, and a long rectangular table behind that for the wedding party. 

“Alright, Mr. McClain,” Shiro had said two days prior. “Veronica tells me that you’re the one in charge of the seating arrangements. All of the tables and chairs have been set up, and I had Pidge send you an interactive diagram that includes the names on the guest list you sent me. All you have to do is drag the name and drop it onto the spot at the table you want the person to sit at.” 

“Hmm. So it seems you ARE competent at your job. I expected no less. But, chop chop! There’s no time for rest now, we have to have all of this ready three days before the wedding is supposed to go on. Two days before is the rehearsal dinner, and the night before is the brides’ bachelorette parties. I don’t want to be handling things that should have already been taken care of by then.” 

“Of course. You have nothing to worry about. I have the best intentions for your sister’s wedding at heart, I assure you.” 

“You’d better. Or I swear I’ll have you blacklisted from every reputable source in a 70 mile radius!” 

Shiro had since tried to make himself as scarce as possible whenever Lance was on the farm, which proved to be more difficult than he had anticipated, as he tried his hardest to be glued to Veronica’s side. Shiro was more than grateful everytime Pidge showed up and claimed that she “desperately needed to talk to him  _ alone _ ” about some issue that really didn’t need his input whatsoever. He never commented on it, though, as he knew that she was just trying to rescue him before he actually rolled his eyes or sighed in front of Lance. He was loathe to think about the verbal lashing he’d get if that were to happen. 

Despite his trouble with Veronica’s brother, things were running quite smoothly. Hunk, the man they had met when they had first visited the rance, had agreed to be the caterer for the entire ordeal. He had blown both the brides, as well as Shiro, away when he had made a sample dish for them. It was clear that he more than knew his way around the kitchen, and Acxa had declared that the more local vendors they could get for the event, the better. 

Keith had actually been the one to recommend they use Hunk. He had explained that the home cook typically made a grand meal at the end of the harvest, celebrating all their hard work, as well as using it as a bit of an experimental event. Not a single person that had tried Hunk’s food had ever complained, and that was good enough for Shiro. He had been calling around and trying to find a caterer since the morning they arrived in town, and not a single vendor was willing to work the event. They claimed that though it did sound special, and they would love to take part in it, the timing was too soon. It didn’t give them anywhere near the amount of flexibility that they were used to for a wedding. 

In fact, Keith had been very helpful over the week. He had pointed Shiro in the directions of multiple vendors that supplied the things that he needed for this. A lot of them were either people he had gone to high school with, or their families. And while that  _ was  _ slightly awkward, all of them were more than happy to aid in Shiro’s task. 

However, it seemed that surprises were going to be a regular thing when planning this wedding when, three days before they were supposed to be almost completely set up, and all decisions were made, a car pulled up in front of the main house on the farm. Keith and Shiro were standing on the front porch, both taking a break from their respective duties. 

“Do you know who that is?” Shiro threw a curious look in Keith’s direction, who looked just as confused as he sounded. 

“I was going to ask you the same thing. Or if that was one of your vendors, stopping by to ask a question.” 

“They pretty much always come in their company vehicles, and they would have called first. My phone has been pretty silent today, except for the florist.” 

The two men stared in bewilderment as a man with dark skin and hair stepped out of the driver’s side of the car. He smiled in their direction, then headed towards them. 

“Good afternoon gentlemen. I was told that I would be able to find Mr. Shirogane here.” 

Shiro ignored the fact that the man had butchered his last name, not pronouncing it the correct way, but in an awful American accent (think Shiro- _ gain  _ rather than Shiro- _ gah-ney _ ). Instead, he put on a bright smile and descended down the short steps to meet the man. 

“Please, call me Shiro. Everyone does. How can I help you?” 

“My name is Adam Ward, and I am a writer for  _ Premiere Wedding Magazine.  _ I heard about the wedding you’re currently working on, and I wanted to write a profile piece on you and this particular wedding.” 

Shiro contained his glee as well he could. The one thing he had been striving for since he started, and finally it was right in front of him. He knew that Pidge was going to flip when he told her. He was already thinking of the headline when his phone buzzed in his pocket. It was the florist, needing a confirmation for the centerpieces. What perfect timing. Just when he was getting the news he’d wanted since he started his business. 

“Why, that sounds great! Thank you so much for the opportunity. You have no idea how much it means to me. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get anything article-related done today. The florist needs my help, so I need to head out.” 

“That’s no problem at all. May I have your phone number, though? I can at least get some introductory information so I begin the piece.” 

“Ah, of course. There might be times when I’m too busy to hold a face-to-face conversation. Working on a time crunch is a little difficult.” Adam passed his phone to Shiro, who made himself a contact in record time. As he handed it back, it seemed that the other man made unnecessary hand contact for an unusual amount of time as he took it back. 

“That’s part of the reason for the article. But I have no doubt that a man of your...capabilities can handle it.” 

Shiro watched as Adam looked him up and down, with something similar to a hunger in his eyes. That was definitely not the direction that Shiro thought that this would go. Hopefully, the man would be able to separate work from pleasure, and he wouldn’t have to make himself scarce whenever they weren’t around a group of other people. 

“I’m pretty sure that’s why they asked for my services.” He chuckled awkwardly. “Now, I really must be going. I don’t want to keep the florist waiting too long.” He took a step away from Adam and turned around to face Keith. “I’ll come back and pick up Pidge. I doubt you’d be fine with her spending a night?” 

“Hey, I think she’s great. But if she’s spending a night here then so are you.” The smirk that accompanied the statement was enough to make him consider leaving the florist until tomorrow, so he could spend more time with a man he’d loved.

Shiro had little trouble with the florist and was heading back earlier than expected. Which was fantastic, because he realized while on his errand that he still hadn’t found the spot that the actual ceremony was taking place. He had some ideas, but none of them really screamed ‘Wedding in Autumn’.

Really, he could probably put it off til tomorrow, but Pidge has sent him a minor SOS text, saying that Adam was overstaying his welcome, and if Shiro didn’t get back soon, Keith was going to make that  _ very well known.  _

Keith had always been known for his fierceness. With who he had for parents, it was to be expected. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and his emotions all over his face. Shiro worried about him being able to control himself in the face of Adam’s more...personal remarks. 

When he arrived, Keith was sitting on the porch steps, a grumpy look on his face. 

“What happened?”

“That damn journalist keeps asking us questions about you. I know that he’s supposed to be writing an article about you, but the things he’s asking are way too personal to be in an article. Shit like if you’re single, what type of man you like, if you even like men. I have half a mind to pick him up and throw him into his own car.” 

“Please don’t. I don’t think you need a record.” 

“Then please, get in there and get him to leave. If I do it, it won’t end peacefully.” 

Shiro nodded and headed inside the house, patting Keith’s shoulder as he passed. In the kitchen, Pidge was sitting at the island, Hunk over her shoulder, and the two of them were working on what sounded like the final touches of the menu they were serving to the guests. Adam, who looked very bored, was sitting in the living room, typing something on his phone. All three of them looked up when Shiro walked in. 

“Oh good. You’re back. Hunk and I just finished the menus. Wanna take a look?” She angled the laptop in his direction. 

“Looks great. Did you show Lance?” 

“Actually, Veronica and Acxa told us to do it this way. They’re the brides. So they’re who we’re gonna follow.” 

“Perfect. Never expected anything less.” As he commended Pidge and Hunk on their work, Adam stood and made his way over to the three of them, practically staring down Shiro the entire time. He turned to face the other man as he approached, and inwardly cringed at the smile that was aimed at him. 

“Problems at the florist didn’t take that long, I presume?” 

“Ah, no. It was way less pressing than either of us thought it was going to be. I just have one last thing to do for this wedding, and three days to do it.” 

“Well, if it’s just the one thing, maybe you could take a break from that and spend some time with me? I really would like to get to know you.” Adam leaned in slightly, his hand creeping over to where Shiro’s was resting on the counter. 

“You know, if I can get that last thing done today, that gives you two days to get all the info you need for the article.” He was unconsciously leaning back, while also trying to seem as polite as possible. He didn’t want to ruin his chances at getting into the magazine.

“Well, I  _ do  _ want to get the article done, of course. But, I was also talking about getting to know you, in a more personal way. There are questions that I have that won’t be in the article.”

Adam was now dangerously close to Shiro, leaning in so far that Shiro was aware of his efforts to put space between the man and himself. He could smell the last dregs of coffee on Adam’s breath, he was  _ that close.  _ Shiro knew that he was conventionally attractive, but to be so obviously hit on like this by a man who had initially come for professional reasons was appalling. Adam’s hand covered his, and he was being forced to stare into eyes that were filled with lust. Wasn’t this still a professional setting? They weren’t even in private, for stars’ sake. 

Fortunately, Keith was entering the house as Adam spoke, his earlier anger seemingly quelled. However, it came right back when he looked up and met Shiro’s (rightly terrified) gaze. Shiro didn’t even need to ask for help, Keith saw him and nodded and launched into action. 

“Hey, Shiro.” He spoke just a bit louder than he needed to, alerting the room to his presence. “I just remembered something. You still haven’t found a place to hold the actual ceremony right?” 

He released a breath he didn’t even know he was holding, and felt nothing but relief as Adam backed out of his personal space and turned around to face the owner of the property.

“Uh, you’re completely right, Keith. Think you’ve got one more fantastic idea up your sleeve?” He stepped around the journalist and approached his rescuer. 

“I might. Follow me.”

“Excuse me,” Adam had a look of disdain on his face as he spoke. “I believe that Shiro and I were having a conversation. Seems a bit rude to steal him away in the middle of one, don’t you think?” 

“I’m sorry, Adam. It’s my fault. I like to have everything that needs to be done for the wedding completed before I do much of anything else. It’s just this last thing, and if we’re being honest, I’d think that the location for the actual ceremony is the most important thing.” 

“You’re right. Forgive me for impeding your work. I’ll let you get back to it, and we can resume these talks tomorrow, yes?” 

“That sounds good. Thank you.” 

Neither Keith nor Shiro waited for the man to respond before they exited the house. Shiro hoped that his friend could sense how grateful he was to him, for stepping in when he did. He was severely uncomfortable with the way he was propositioned in front of his friends. Of course, he would have been just as uncomfortable if his friends were replaced with strangers, but the fact that Adam was so blunt was the worst part. He tried not to think too hard about it as he walked with Keith. 

“So, you may remember this spot. I think that it has a bit of a romantic aura to it. And with the fall season in full swing, it’s even more amazing. Do you trust me?”

“You know I do. Especially now that you’ve helped me so many times during all of this.” 

“I’m glad. Take my hand and close your eyes. I want it to be a bit of a surprise.” Keith offered his hand a little smile to Shiro, who took it without protest. They walked in silence for 2 more minutes, in which Shiro would have been more worried if it was anyone else but Keith. 

Once they finally reached their destination, he was instructed to open his eyes, and the sight made him gasp. The pair of them stood under a massive sycamore tree. Fading sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, painting them both with shades of yellow and red from head to toe. The leaves that had already fallen to the ground created a golden carpet that seemed to make the air around them brighten up. 

“Wow.” Shiro was filled with memories of him and Keith spending their springs and summers out here. The times that they climbed up on branches and snacked away on the fresh fruit that the farm offered as they studied and finished their homework. He remembered the first time that they had visited this tree; they had come to the tree as friends, and left as boyfriends.

“I’m guessing that you do remember, huh?”

“I do. I remember the firsts we had here.” 

“Well, I was thinking that if this spot was so romantic for us during the year, it could be a romantic spot for my sister to marry the woman she loves.” There was an emotion in Keith’s voice that he hadn’t heard in years, and stars, was it making him soft.

Shiro turned to face him. “Keith. This is a  _ wonderful  _ idea. You’ve been nothing but good ideas since I got here.” 

They unconsciously approached each other, getting so close that their shoes were nearly touching. Both of their faces were unreadable to the other, a mix of emotions and a whirlwind of thoughts. What was the other thinking? What were they feeling? It was nearly impossible to tell, but they could silently hope. 

“You’re the good idea, Shiro. You always have been.” 

“No, you are. I never meant to lose touch with you. But I knew that if we went to the same college I would hold you back. I couldn’t do that.” 

“Baby, no. I would have held you back. You, this wonderful wedding planner who’s getting an article and has been able to plan my sister’s wedding in less than 2 weeks. Amazing.”

“I was only able to get it done with your help. Without you, I would have never been able to keep up my promise to Veronica and Acxa.” 

“You know, we did make a promise to come back to each other once we were done with school. I know it’s been a while but, no one’s saying we can’t make it up to each other now. And I do need a wedding date to-”

“Shhhh,” Shiro interrupted. “Say less. You had me at ‘once we were done with school.’ Can I kiss you?” 

Keith smiled at him. A bright, beautiful thing that Shiro had never gotten enough of before, and didn’t think he’d get enough of ever. 

“You didn’t even need to ask.”

~~FIN~~ 


End file.
